Job responsibilities
Post
Title:Occupational Health and
Wellbeing Nurse Specialist
Pay
Band:Agenda for Change Band 7
Contract:Permanent
Location / Department: Working Well Centre Newtown Road Worcester
Accountable to: Head of OH and Wellbeing Services
Reports to: Head of OH and Wellbeing Services
Key Working Relationships:
All
stakeholders Other
NHS Occupational Health and Wellbeing Services, Other non NHS Organisations,
Clinical Commissioning
Groups.
Risk Assessment: Working
with VDUs, some manual handling/repetitive tasks. Potential exposure to
distressed and or verbally aggressive individuals. The role can be emotionally
challenging at times.
Job
Purpose:
To
support and contribute to the effective provision of a high quality
Occupational Health and Wellbeing Service to the Trust and other public sector
and private organisations. The postholder may liaise with other agencies in the
planning programmes of care and/or health education programmes.
To
promote and maintain a systematic, holistic approach to occupational health and
wellbeing provision, its implementation and evaluation.
To
participate in identifying and maintaining a safe working environment and
preventing ill health that may be associated with work. Receive, interpret and
manage highly complex health information from employees, managers and/or HR
which may lead to restrictions being placed on an employees job role, such as
addictions, blood borne viruses or RIDDOR reportable incidents; providing highly
specialised advice regarding work health assessments and fitness for work
assessments in line with professional standards, legal obligations and local
policy.
Undertake
formal clinical audit programmes and evaluation, supporting the strategic
direction of the service and provide assurance regarding the quality of clinical
care and advice.
To
provide clear visible professional advice to employees within the Trust and
external clients.
Provide
management and professional leadership to Occupational Health Nurse Advisors
and the wider multidisciplinary team within the Occupational Health department.
To
assist the Head of OH
and Wellbeing in leading and advancing clinical practice in line
with DH guidelines and legislation.
To
provide all aspects of Occupational Health clinical practice. Assessing patients/clients,
planning and implementing care, providing specialist advice and maintaining
associated records in accordance with departmental protocols.
Key
Duties:
Coordinate
daily clinics and provide professional leadership, advice, support and guidance
to the Occupational Health Nurse Advisors. Act as a professional role model and
provide strong, facilitative, and effective clinical leadership.
Manage own
caseload of management referrals for the purpose of sickness absence management
through assessment and planning of Occupational Health care of an individual.
Provide specialist expertise and advice on highly complex cases such as those
with multiple complex health or neurodiverse conditions for which managers
require coaching and guidance to be able to support the employee in the
workplace. Develop highly specialised programmes of care to employees to
mitigate health issues within the workplace.
Work
autonomously as a specialist practitioner and be able to use own initiative and
act independently, to take action when required. Will be required to work alone
as well as within the team.
Maintain and safeguard accurate confidential
clinical records including the recording of clinical outcomes and observations,
tests results, and the secure storage of patient identifiable information on
the OH management system Cority in in accordance with Data Protection
Act and Caldicott Principles, information governance and relevant legislation.
Undertake
complex fitness for work assessments, using evidence-based practice to
provide highly specialist appropriate advice and support to managers, employees
and HR whilst considering relevant legal requirements e.g. Equality Act. This
will require the analysis of a range of possible options.
Assess
any employee following an inoculation injury, undertaking a risk assessment for
blood borne viruses and appropriate action in accordance with the DH
guidelines.
Act
as an expert adviser on specific programmes of work as required, for example
employee infection prevention or health surveillance interventions/programmes
Contribute to strategic OH
work, including attendance at key meetings representing OH e.g. Health and Safety,
Infection Prevention and Control.
Participate
in Health and Wellbeing initiatives.
Take
a senior role in the development and provision of a high profile and pro-active
Occupational Health Service that will meet SEQOHS accredited standards.
Assist
in the development of the departments business plans and strategy.
Undertake
defined projects as agreed with the Head
of OH and Wellbeing to
support the delivery of high quality clinically effective care.
Assist
the Head of OH and Wellbeing to
monitor, review and develop Occupational Health policies and procedures to
ensure they meet legislation and DH recommendations and reflect standards of
best practice.
To
support the Head of OH and Wellbeing/Deputy OH Manager and
deputise as necessary.
Use
high level specialist knowledge to develop and deliver training programmes to
address specific health and wellbeing issues.
Communication
and relationship skills:
Provide and receive highly
complex, sensitive and sometimes contentious information with clients where
there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome,
requiring a high level of interpersonal and communication skills and ensuring advice
is in line with legal standards e.g. fitness to drive, safeguarding
Communicate
effectively within the multidisciplinary team, with departments and
organisations to ensure services are well planned and co coordinated. Establish
and maintain effective communication channels with all colleagues, managers and
other professionals.
Respond
to verbal / electronic/ written and telephone enquires in a helpful manner,
prioritising messages and taking responsibility for ensuring the appropriate
member of the clinical team is informed where action is required.
Maintain
and respect patient confidentiality at all times. To escalate cases to Head of OH and Wellbeing / Occupational Health Physician when
appropriate.
Planning
and Organisational skills:
The
postholder will plan delivery of specialist occupational health nursing care
and take overall responsibility for the department in the Head of Occupational
Health/Deputy OH Managers absence.
The
postholder will take responsibility for dealing with clinical queries and
complex case management. Undertaking blood borne virus risk assessments,
identification of high-risk incidents and ensuring the correct follow up is
planned following an incident.
The
postholder will act in a senior capacity to support more junior members of the
clinical team and ensure best practice is maintained within the department in
accordance with legislation relevant to occupational health practice.
Client
Care:
Prompt
production of reports to support clients and managers.
Provide
specialist advice in relation to care and develop specialised programmes of
care/care packages to staff who require occupational health support.
Provide
highly specialised occupational health advice and be accountable for direct
delivery of occupational health care within the department.
All
clinical care will be in line with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct
regarding record keeping and obtaining informed consent.
Provide
appropriate Occupational Health advice which complies with the ethical guidance
from the Faculty of Occupational Health medicine.
Assess
individual risk for employees presenting with perceived stress and taking
appropriate action.
Provide
support and signposting to employees through potentially difficult or
distressing situations.
To
undertake any other duties which is deemed appropriate to the band when
requested by Senior Staff. The above indicates the main duties of the post
which may be reviewed in the light of experience and developments within the
service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post-holder.
